Wandering Stars: A Novel

Why do stories matter? How can stories transform culture? How can they harm it?

Describe what Lony means when he compares the Indigenous American diaspora as “dead letter mail” in the final chapter (308). What other parallels does Orange make to describe this diaspora, and where do they overlap and differ?

In the novel, Orvil researches tribes native to California and reads their names out loud. Research a boarding school for Indigenous children in the United States during their insurgence across the US. Do the primary and secondary sources accurately reflect its history? Do they record any names of the children who attended? Compare the history you find with the history represented in the novel.

Throughout the novel, the voice changes from first to third person, sometimes even for the same character in different chapters. What effect does this element of craft have on the narrative? Why do you think Orange chooses to do this?

How do historical and generational trauma and violence show up for each of the characters? Choose two characters and describe how events like the Sand Creek Massacre impact them throughout the novel, supporting your argument with examples from the text.

How does the historical information in the prologue support the rest of the narrative? Does the prologue serve any function beyond situating the text, and if so, how? Which elements of the novel are also historical facts?

Setting matters a lot in the novel. How does living in Oakland impact the lives of the characters throughout the novel? How does Oakland inform their experiences and interests within the theme of Land, Place, and Belonging?

How does family both help and hinder the characters throughout the novel? How do they sometimes create their own non-blood-related families, if ever?